


Death of the Planet of the Apes

by DDElliott



Category: Planet of the Apes (Movies 1968-1973)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-28
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-03-26 13:55:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19007152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DDElliott/pseuds/DDElliott
Summary: In the time between the first Planet of the Apes movie, 1968 and Escape from the Planet of the Apes 1972 a story of betrayal and hatred, a government and church fighting for survival in a dying age and a man destined to end it all, play out their parts in the conclusion of an era. This was a labor of love. Thank you Charelton and cast for inspiring my imagination for a lifetime.





	Death of the Planet of the Apes

Planet of the Apes: “Death of the Planet of the Apes”

**“Beware the beast man, for he is the devil’s pawn. Alone among God’s creatures, he kills for sport or lust or greed. Yea, he will murder his brother to possess his brother’s land. Let him not breed in great numbers, drive him back into his lair, shun him; for he is the harbinger of death… Shun him; for he will make a desert of his home and yours.”**

**The Lawgiver… 29 th Scroll, 6th Verse…**

    

     “Don’t try to follow us; I’m pretty handy with this.” A half-naked, Colonel George Taylor, states with impunity while holding the crude rifle above his head. He sits bareback, astride a brown horse held tightly by a feral human female from behind, arms wound around his naked waist and clinging to his sun-scorched back, her dark unkempt mane tangled in her eyes. Sounds of crashing waves filled the background as Taylor stared down at the orangutan prefect, seated in the sand and tied like an animal to a large piece of driftwood, arms bound behind him. “Of that I’m sure!” The simian scientist offered. “All my life I’ve awaited your coming and dreaded it, like death itself!” He followed up curtly. The filthy human ponders quizzically a second. “Why?” “I’ve terrified you from the first moment we met, I still do. You’re afraid of me and you hate me! Why?” The befuddled astronaut inquires, desperate to understand his most dangerous adversary. The good Doctor’s face turns to a righteous smirk of indignation. “Because you’re a man... and you’re right!” “I have always known about man. From the evidence I believe his wisdom must go hand in hand with his idiocy!” Dr. Zaius spits out toward Taylor and his companion as the three chimpanzees look on, silently curious. He then continues his explanation further. “His emotions must rule his brain! He must be a war-like creature who must do battle with everything around him! Even himself!” Taylor has no immediate response to Dr. Zaius condemnation of the human race, the sentiments echo statements he himself has made time and time again, in his own mind if not aloud. Then his brow furrows a bit questioningly. “What evidence? There were no weapons in that cave.” The subdued orangutan drops his disgust as his tone changes to ominous and factually serious. “The forbidden zone was once a paradise…” Then his voice turns once again to make indictment. “Your breed made a desert of it, ages ago.” Taylor now finds the wring of truth in the aged simian’s words. Taylor pushes for more. “It still doesn’t give me the why.” “A planet where apes evolved from men, there’s got to be an answer.” As Taylor pulls on the beast’s reigns and the horse turns toward the direction of Cornelius and Zira as well as Zira’s nephew Lucius, the echo of Dr Zaius’ final plea go unheeded. “Don’t look for it Taylor! You may not like what you find.” Taylor and Zaius lock eyes for a split second in acknowledgement and understanding, two beings on opposite ends of a spectrum, as equals. No more is spoken between them. The ruddy man backs his mount away slowly while foreboding engulfs his once haughty spirit. He raises his right hand in the direction of his three primates, his friends, and turns and trots away up the coastline, leaving hoof prints in the sand just before the gentle waves role in and erase them from existence.

     “Cornelius! Untie me immediately!” Dr. Zaius cries out to his frozen underling! Cornelius and Lucius obey quickly freeing the elder statesman. At the same moment, a squad of heavily armed gorillas on horseback appear and take up chase of the two escaped humans. “Wait!” the voice of Zaius calls out with authority! The group of mounted soldiers halts abruptly. “Let them go!” He orders without explanation. Cornelius and Lucius flank the good doctor as the female Zira takes her place next to the prefect. “What do you think he’ll find doctor?” She asks. Stoically and without blinking he answers her. “His destiny.”

   Dr Zaius addresses the gorillas on horseback as they gallop their way back from harassing the human fugitives. “Sargent, take your soldiers up the ridge and prepare to use blasting caps. We are going to seal up the caves!” His orders elicit a reactionary response from the female scientist Zira! “Dr Zaius! You can’t! The contents of the caves and our research of its contents are invaluable…” But her protests are ignored and her words halted with further orders from the superior of their group. “When your soldiers are ready, blow up the mouth of the cave and seal it completely!” The self-righteous arrogance of the doctor and lack of regard for the truths contained in the dig site remind and confirm the chimpanzee’s suspicions. Cornelius holds his fiancé back and interjects in her stead with meekness. “Doctor, wouldn’t it be more beneficial to hold off the blasting until we’ve had time to properly gather the archeological artifacts contained from the caves?” The elitist elder statesman, true to his form gave answer as he simply walked away dismissively. “There will be no artifacts.” Cornelius and Zira consider his statement as he continues walking away and mounts one of the horses brought for him by the soldiers escorting him. He takes the reigns from his gorilla submissive and raises his right arm and with one downward stroke, the explosives are activated, sending several tons of stone and dirt into the air and then raining back down onto the site, burying any remnant of the archeological dig site or the evidence within.

     Zaius calls for the rest of his escort party to join him in heading back to the city, but not before ordering the sergeant to arrest the three chimpanzees. The commander complies and places Cornelius, his fiancé and her young nephew in cuffs and attempts to stuff them into the back of a caged wagon pulled by a team of ponies. Zira struggles but is struck on the head by one of the soldiers with a wooden billy-club, knocking her unconscious immediately. In response to her assault, Cornelius pushes free of his capture and returns a similar blow of his own to the gorilla responsible for hurting his beloved. Normally a pacifist and intellectual, Cornelius gives over control to his baser instincts and bludgeons the unsuspecting soldier in the back of his thick brutish skull with one of the pieces of driftwood at his feet in the sand! With malice and anger unleashed, the blow cracks the solders head open and drops his lifeless body to the wet sand with thick rich red blood gushing from the fresh and mortal wound. Two gorillas in military uniforms grab Cornelius by the arms as another strikes him in the face with the butt of his rifle and everything goes dark and silent.

     Hours pass while Lucius squats next to his fallen would-be uncle’s unresponsive body. Finally the older chimpanzee begins to stir and opens his eyes. At first he’s confused and unaware of his status. Then he recognizes the taste of iron rich blood in his mouth and smells the stench of rot, decay and feces. He instinctively tries to sit up but is unable to rise. “Don’t try to get up! You’ve been out cold all afternoon!” Lucius explains. “W.. where are we?” The younger, picks up a wooden ladle of water from a bucket next to him and offers it to Cornelius, who sips it cautiously. “We’ve been arrested and placed in the detention block awaiting trial!” The young ape lowers his voice and scans the room before whispering. “When you killed that gorilla soldier, they threw us all into the wagon and brought us back in irons.” For the first time, the pieces of memory started to come together and he remembers… “Zira!” “Easy does it!” Says Lucius but Cornelius grabs Lucius’ tunic and demands! “Where is she? Is she alright?!” “I don’t know, they took her away on a stretcher when we arrived and placed you and I here. They won’t tell me anything! I’m worried for her, what if the do something to her? Hurt her for what you did?!” Pangs of regret and agony overtake the scientist and he slumps down onto the loose straw scattered on the floor and begins to weep bitterly.

 

     In a very different part of the territory, along the vast coastline of the sea, a man and woman ride in the direction of the sun. Gentle waves of dark green water and thick white foam break and swirl at the feet of their pony. Lazily they move forward in search of some kind of home, some kind of answer. Taylor isn’t sure what he’s looking for and as for his mute companion, she is only along for the ride. No discernable intelligence or understanding can he find in her face. Only fear, registers in her eyes. She remains otherwise oblivious to their mission or plight. He checks over his shoulder once in a while to make sure that she’s alright. He finds her exactly the same each and every time. He envies her, her lack of understanding, ignorant bliss. “It must be peaceful.” He says out loud. He was unable to speak for so long that he’s learned to cherish the use of his own voice. He speaks frequently, to himself sometimes, to Nova once in a while, and to the big silent world around him that never answers back. But he takes comfort in the sound of his own words, over the straining silence that threatens to swallow him up, if he stops exercising his vocabulary. “Well kid, I guess it’s just you and me now.” “I don’t know what we’ll find. But one thing’s for sure, it’s got to be better than what we just left behind.” “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen what the men of my time did to the earth and each other.” “That’s right, my world was called earth; with little angry men, scared of each other and too selfish to share. I wonder what became of them after we left?” “Hopefully they learned to put down their guns and prejudices and build a better world. Who knows, maybe out there far away, our progeny live in peace with one another.” The man smiles as he contemplates his species. “I sound like one of those cheerful guys I used to make fun of, optimists they were called.” Within a few hours the sun continues its trek across the sky while Taylor pushes onward. The beach is deserted, the sand pristine from interruption or molestation. Only the sound of his words mixes with the relentless crashing of the waves that continue to roll in, soaking the dark sand beneath them. He encounters nothing for miles, just endless coastline, until he reaches an outcropping of steep cliffs with trees atop, blocking the rays of blinding sun. The stony cliff juts out ahead of them until it reaches the water’s edge. The astronaut and his mate ride through the shallow water until arriving safely back on shore just around the steep rock face. Once on the other side the beach opens back up wide and less cumbersome to travel. But without the tree line to abate the harsh rays of sunshine, he, Nova and their steed are blinded. Taylor keeps his eyes almost completely shut and pointed down at the surf in order to steer and advance. Suddenly without warning his skin feels cooler and the brightness is replaced with shadow. He looks up while opening his eyes at the same moment to see what has given them immediate shade. First his eyes try to focus… “What is…” is all he can say as a darkened row of intimidating long spikes, some bent, reach into the sky and rays of light shoot down on him. Then, in an instant, he sees what is blocking his way. Horrified he looks up at his destiny. An immense deteriorating figure of a woman holding a torch high above her head, sunken deep into the sand, sticking up at an unnatural angle fills the sky in front of him. It dwarfs the tiny man and woman on the back of the small animal. Some seventy feet in the air stands a reminder of his past… and tells him, he’s finally home. In stunned silence he sits, motionless at first and then slips out of the saddle and staggers a few steps while regaining his ability to speak out. Defeated and broken his words emerge. “Oh my God!” “I’m back.” “I’m home.” “All the time.” “We finally really did it.” Listless he drops to his knees, water running over his bent legs, kneeling as if in final defeat and an act of contrition. He collapses onto his left hand and drives his fist into the sand, furiously! “You maniancs!” He screams! “You blew it up!” Then, not in vain but in fierce condemnation he yells! “Damn you! God, Damn you all to hell!” The devolved human female, Nova stands beside the horse and looks up at the strange, foreign thing over shadowing them.

 

     Inside the small jail cell surrounding the two simian’s cold damp air wisps around them. A pool of water takes up the center spot in the large room with its high arched ceilings chiseled out of granite. “What is this place?” The elder ape wipes the tears from his face with the sleeve of his tunic then speaks in a low tone. “This is the old quarry. It’s on the opposite end of the jungle nearest the edge of the forbidden zone. Several hundred years ago, shortly before our benevolent Lawgiver wrote the sacred scrolls, this cave was part of a large mining operation. The stone slabs taken from here were transported to the city and used to build our museums and capital.” “I don’t remember anything about that in my history class.” Lucius contemplates out loud. “No, you wouldn’t, and you never will. That part of our history has been purged from the archives. Only a few of us are privy to that information and at great cost.” The young ape sits next to his uncle and whispers once again. “Why is it so secret?” Cornelius leans close. “It’s considered sedition and heresy to even speak of these things in private. Even those of us that know the truth, don’t dare speak it.” Lucius thinks a moment. “But I don’t understand, what’s wrong with knowing the truth?” Cornelius shakes his head. “Much of our world and culture are built on a fragile concept. The fabric of Society and its social constructs, our government, commerce and even our religion depends on continuity. Any inconsistency or contradiction cannot be tolerated, it threatens everything we are and encourages decent. It causes some thinking apes to question authority and that, is very dangerous.” The young ape rubs his thick beard.“ “So you’re saying it’s all a bunch of lies.” The older ape puts a sympathetic hand on the young chimp’s shoulder. “No, not everything… just all the important stuff.”

   Two gorillas march behind a third whose uniform denotes a higher rank with a silver plate under his chin as he motions for his escorts to flank the small cell. Then a slightly smaller gorilla with a pronounced limp in his left leg approaches the cages door with a tray of food and slides it under the door in front of Julius and Cornelius. Both apes stand their ground and watch uneasily as the commander and his troops withdraw without as much as a word and are gone. Julius quickly makes for the tray and begins eating while Cornelius sits down cautiously and keeps watch. The younger ape devours some fruit and vegetables before realizing that he is eating alone. “Why don’t you eat something? Aren’t you hungry?” The older ape just focuses on the doorway and the dark hallway.“ “Help yourself; I don’t seem to have much of an appetite.” Once Cornelius is sure that they are alone again, he returns to their earlier conversation. “So you said something of a trial, a trial for what?” Lucius continued chewing and then explained. “I overheard Dr Zaius tell the jailor not to speak to us or answer any of our questions, that we were criminals to be tried for treason!” “Treason?!!” “Why that’s preposterous! What act of treason could we have possibly committed?!” Julius had no answer; he sat quietly with his head down as his eyes began to tear up. “Do you think… that they’ll exile us?” Julius looked up at Cornelius for some glimmer of hope or sign of optimism but found none. “I don’t know, I don’t know.”

 

     Time passes and the two captives tried to sleep, though Cornelius slumber was short and restless as his mind kept replaying the details of his attack and killing of the gorilla, played over and over in his mind. His stomach was in knots and his head ached from stress. It would have been bad enough if he had just pushed the soldier but he hadn’t. He had committed murder, the worst crime that any simian could possibly commit. In comparison, the charges of treason seemed almost insignificant. Treason came with a sentence of exile. But in the case of murder, the Lawgiver was very clear… Sacred Scrolls, Tenth Scroll, First verse. “Ape must never kill ape.” It was succinct and conveyed finality. Even under unusual circumstances… there was no latitude here. Cornelius heart sank as he thought of his darling Zira, helpless and alone, his own predicament being of lesser concern to him.

 

     Nearly seventy miles and a world away from Cornelius and Lucius’ temporary prison, perched on a hillside, rest’s a structure much larger and imposing than any of the surrounding edifices. The Capital building overlooks the mall at the epicenter of what is lovingly referred to by its citizens as “Ape City”. Simia, is actually an odd collection of leaning stone and wood construction, each different but oddly similar to its neighbor fills the area around the capital. Next to the Capital sits an amphitheater carved from the granite mountainside, complete with enough seating to house half of the metropolitan inhabitants. Sitting closest to the stage floor, in the front, taking the most prominent of placement sits the ruling, dignified and stoic class of politicians, the orangutans. Filling the largest portion of the theater, the military, the gorillas sit, stamping their boots and beating their wooden clubs against the stone benches. And, near the highest section looking down dispassionately, at the proceedings with no sign or sound, for or against rest the educated class of passive chimpanzees. However, it’s there, standing in the middle of the great stage that an orator of high esteem leads a military rally of its most primal primates. He is dressed in black leather cavalry riding boots extending up to just below the knee, with dark brown pants much like his brethren. But his full sleeved coat of black leather with its display of small metal plates embroidered onto its front cuts an imposing figure along with the accompaniment of gauntlets ensconced in a similar arrangement to his wrists and forearms. And yet his uniform, as archaic as it is outstanding, is unable to hold a simian’s attention in comparison to the large oversized black helmet emblazed with the symbols of warfare across its front plate. Altogether the uniform of the armies highest ranking officer and lifetime champion of combat takes center stage and commands the attention of all apes in attendance. General Ursus speaks… “Honored dignitaries, country-men and fellow warriors, (he conspicuously ignores the chimpanzees present) it is time for all apes to make a choice! If we do not choose, the decision will be made for us! We all know the wild and outrageous stories that have been circulating the past few weeks about a… talking human!” His voice takes on a humorous tone while laughter erupts in the stands! “Now I don’t mean to suggest that there exist real live talking human animals, but all the same…” He pauses for dramatic effect. “Humans are breeding faster than we can eliminate them! They eat our crops, damage our property, scare our females and little ones, man is, and has always been a menace to society!” He stops speaking and turns to point a large gloved hand at the imposingly tall statue looming over the procession. “It was our great and benevolent Lawgiver himself! That warns us of the danger of allowing these inferior beings to infest our homeland.” Shouts and the clapping of multitudes of hands fill the air as he wraps up his speech. “It is time for all simian kind to choose once and for all, is it apes? Or humans that deserve to live?!” “Do not be mistaken; for it will be one or the other, there is no longer room for both!” He receives a standing ovation of gorilla’s and orangutans alike, the chimpanzees, representing the intellectual math and science guild, remain silent and refuse to stand at first. But with so many onlookers obviously watching and intimidating the small delegation, one by one they stand quietly. This catches both Ursus’ eye as well as that of Dr. Zaius. Doctor Maximus moves close to Zaius and says something to him. He recognizes Ursus’ meaning for a new policy to, in not so many words, exterminate the human race!

 

   An hour has passes and Zaius retires to the council chambers along with his fellow administrators to discuss the military coupe that is beginning to rear its head. President Galen is first to speak up. “My fellow apes, it’s becoming most clear that General Ursus is making a push for control.” To his left sits Assemblyman Maximus. “I for one agree with the general’s sentiments concerning the survival of our species. That is not the issue at hand.” “No, it’s a matter of control, our control of the public’s confidence in our ability to protect our way of life.” Dr Zaius interjects next. “If our culture and society are to survive and continue to occupy the highest rung on the evolutionary latter, then we cannot afford to lose control of our government to a butcher like Ursus!” “He may be Commander in Chief of our forces but he lacks the intelligence or moral compass to be in charge! It is our righteous duty to put a stop to his ascendance. I suggest we invite him into our council with the impression of aligning ourselves with him as equals.” A stir of objections blast forth from the others at the large table! “Are you actually saying that we should accept him in among us?” Zaius raises a steady hand to halt the riotous rebuttal. “No, no, not a real alliance, but that we act as though we agree with his proposal and in that way gain his confidence and steer him in the right direction. Guide him with subtlety the way we wish him to go.” The objections turn to sighs of understanding and soft agreement. “As President of the council I concur with Dr Zaius, I suggest that we adopt this gorilla into our fold in order to control him until such time as we are able to excise him.” Everyone among the thirteen council members gives a unanimous, “aye” and the motion to manipulate the military officer is adopted and careful planning begins.

     Meanwhile Cornelius and Lucius rest, contemplating their predicament. Sitting on the straw covered ground, his back against the bars of his cage, Lucius begins asking very pointed questions of his elder ape. “So, tell me more about our history. I don’t think it matters what we say now.” Cornelius has been squatting next to the cell door watching for any sign of life outside in the long hall. “Well, let’s see. Most everything we know of the past has been handed down orally, by word of mouth from one trusted keeper to another, generation to generation as far back as anyone can fathom. If any part of this information were to be written down it would surely mean the end. Once discovered it would cause a ripple effect, putting every ape with an education at risk.” “Many centuries ago this planet was inhabited by intelligent men. They had the power of reason and spoke just like we do now.” Lucius develops a grin and then cocks his head to the side and begins sniggering. “Awe come on Cornelius, I’m serious.” Cornelius’ face turns indignant. “I’m serious.” Lucius straightens up and faces his friend with all decorum and respect. “Sorry, I thought you were just having fun at my expense.” “So humans could really speak?” Cornelius begins again. “Yes they even had their own science, math and literature.” “Man was much more advanced than we are now, in many ways. But even as smart as he was, his intelligence could not prevail over his greed. In the end it was his aggressive nature that cost him his life and culture.” Lucius’ mind quickly absorbs all that he is hearing and commits it to memory. Cornelius clears a spot in the dirt and draws a crude map of the world they have always known. Then he extends the drawing to the north and paints a picture for his young student, of the forbidden zone as only he and a few other chimpanzees understand. “My digging took us here.” He points the end of a small stick to a position on the map that Lucius is familiar with. “But much further north, here, I found evidence supporting the old stories.” Lucius eyes widen. “What was it?” Cornelius says stoically. “A human graveyard.” Both chimps remain silent as they consider the implications, since humans were merely animals and not subject to burial. Their corpses were dumped into large pyres and burned to protect against the spread of one of their accursed diseases. Humans were such filthy animals; they carried numerous sicknesses that if left unchecked could pose a threat to the civilized simian society. Cornelius started again. “I found hundreds of thousands of marker stones with intricately carved names and dates. But the dates listed were relatively close together, as if the life span of man must have been very short, approximately thirty years or so. The stones that had been carved last, toward the end of the time period, had only dates and no names, as if they had been placed in a hurry.” Lucius sat, transfixed on his teachers every word. “The most puzzling fact however is that all of the stones had been blackened, as if they had all been exposed to unfathomable heat. They were burned!” Lucius leaned closer. “I don’t understand?” The elder ape hypothesized. “Some sort of cataclysm of worldly proportions must have occurred!” “In the span of thirty years, humans were virtually wiped from the face of this planet, leaving only a small brood of ignorant few to survive in the ashes of their world.” Lucius pondered the information and then asked. “But what of our ancestors? What signs were there of our history.”

Cornelius countenance slowly fell. At first he was speechless, then… “Along with the charred remains of the human civilization I found mass graves, stone markers stood over them.” Cornelius topped for a second and then continued. “The monuments that were erected there bore close resemblance to the “Pillars of Caesar”.” Lucius looked confused. Cornelius explained. “They had been constructed and placed there by our forefathers.” This revelation gave way to a host of new questions that Cornelius was at a loss to answer.

 

     Relative to the same time the two captives sat speculating, a battalion of gorilla soldiers lead by their supreme commander, General Ursus, ride up to the capital on horseback. Ursus drops down from his saddle and enters the large front doorway into the main rotunda. Doctor Zaius saunters up to his guest followed by his personal aid, a young orangutan named Heratio. “Good day Doctor, I was surprised to receive your invitation to join you and the high council in session. I was under the impression that the council opposed my plans to invade the waste lands, considering their unyielding stance toward the Forbidden Zone.” Zaius gives a simian smile and looks the general directly in the eyes and lowers the register of his voice. “Not so general. Of course there are members of the judiciary, mostly religious zealots who would rather postpone your ambitious endeavor, siting the Laws from our most sacred teachings. But some of my fellow apes, including myself see the need for advancement if we are to survive as the dominant species.” Surprise registers on the gorilla’s face. “Very well put, doctor. I was unaware of your progressive attitude.” “I always pictured you more the conservative type, more orthodox as it were.” Sarcasm drips from his muzzle as he continues in dramatic prose. “Minister of science, Chief Justice and let’s not forget, Chief Defender of the Faith!” Ursus watches the doctor for the slightest hint of displeasure in the old orangutan’s face but finds none. Instead the old politician smirks as he makes reply. “Quite the contrary, admittedly I am sworn to uphold the law as well as scripture. But there exist much room for interpretation as to what is best for our kind, wouldn’t you agree, general?” The weathered warrior and tactician nods with unexpected pleasure. “I would indeed sir.” “I am glad you and I have had this little talk, it reaffirms my faith in simian logic.” Zaius’ demeanor shows a display of newly empowered confidence. “I am, and always will be a pragmatist where our kind, are concerned, my friend.” The doctor makes a move to grasp the general’s forearm and is met with favorable response in turn. The two apes shake as allies and chuckle. “Then let us part as apes with a common goal.” Dr. Zaius says with haste. And with that, the general withdraws with his troops in tow. Heratio steps up and takes Zaius side in the main hall as both apes watch the army leave. “May I speak sir?” Zaius never takes his eyes off the general’s procession. “You may. Only be careful not to overstep your station.” He advises his young counterpart. “Sir, I mean no disrespect, but is it truly your opinion that we should… support the general’s plans?” Zaius turns and walks away without a word.

 

 

Chapter Two

 

     A week passed before the High Council sent for the two fugitive apes being held in captivity, away from the rest of the population and in secret. It was after sundown when the covered wagon pulled up to an unassuming side entrance to the capital building that night. A group of soldiers surrounded the small wagon to block the view of anyone accidentally discovering the transport of the two chimpanzees inside. The dead bolt was slid to one side and the door opened. First Lucius, anxious and shaking dropped onto the ground and was quickly escorted inside, shackles on feet and hands as well as a thick woven sack over his head to conceal his identity. Next, Cornelius, in similar chains and head covering emerged and was pulled from the doorway and dragged inside, under cover of darkness. Once inside they were pushed and prodded along until Lucius almost tripped and was picked up and thrown over someone’s shoulder and dropped onto the cold hard floor. Both apes chains were removed and then the hood. “Where are we, Cornelius?” The older chimp didn’t answer right away but chose instead to visually inspect his surroundings. In answer to the young chimp’s question, one of the soldier gorillas tapped him on top of his head with a small handheld wooden club. “Quiet!” he demanded and Lucius capitulated without rebuttal. “It looks like we’ve been brought into the private chambers of someone on the council by the decorations and table and chairs facing us.” A few minutes followed and then a door off to the right side of the room, guarded by a lone armed soldier, opened and several high officials entered the room and took seats behind the table facing the accused. “Dr Zaius!” Cornelius started to call out in recognition of his old teacher and familiar face. But he stopped and became quiet when the doctor ignored his call and took a seat with his fellow Orangutans, who sat in judgement. The lack of acknowledgement made Cornelius’ heart sink. It became quite clear that no sort of quarter would be granted from his old acquaintance. “No one want’s to be associated with you or I, we’re on our own.” He stated quietly to his companion. The first to speak was a smaller and much older councilman. He rose from his seat and took a position in front of the vast table and faced the dignitaries in the room. “Here ye, let all come forward and be heard! This session of inquiry is hereby called to order! The three defendants are accused on four counts of unlawful entry into the area designated by ape law as the Forbidden Zone, three counts of sedition, and three counts of treason.” The first charge upset the scientist but it was the following two charges that sent fear and adrenaline racing through his veins! His chin quivered in expectation of the proceedings at hand. The oldest orangutan seated at the table, Dr Maximus, took the documents handed to him from the court secretary. “Would the accused approach the court?” Cornelius went first and was joined at his side by Lucius, standing directly in front of the tribunal. Cornelius tried to make eye contact with Dr. Zaius but was unsuccessful. Dr. Maximus continued. “As to the charges brought against you, how Cornelius, do you plead?” He asked without looking up from his papers. Cornelius stood perfectly still and simply stated. “For the record I plead not guilty.” “And if I may be permitted…” But he was immediately cut off by the Chief Judge. “And concerning the charges leveled against the younger ape, Lucius, how do you plead?” Lucius was much too nervous and unaccustomed to the court system, to know what to do or say and so turned to his companion for council. Cornelius whispered softly. “Not guilty. Say not guilty.” Lucius immediately faced his judges. “Not guilty.”

     Judge Maximus continued on without any sign of concern or interest in the two apes before him, robotically and without emotion, he continued. “Let the records show that both of the accused have entered their pleas of ‘not guilty’. Would the prosecution please rise and address the court.” Now, Cornelius looks to Zaius but is stunned to see Judge Galen stand and walk around the end of the large table and advance to a position close to him in the middle of the floor before taking control. “Esteemed council, learned colleagues, apes of faith. It is the intention of the prosecution to prove without any shadow of a doubt, that the three apes, who stand accused, are indeed guilty of all charges brought against them.” The two chimpanzees stand shaking and confused while they listen to the condemnation. Then, from the opposite side of the table, one of the judges, Judge Halius, speaks up. “Wait, you say three apes? But I see before me only two?” “Where is the third person mentioned in the document?” For the first time since arriving, Dr Zaius stands and addresses the court. “If it pleases the court. The female chimpanzee, Dr Zira, is in respite at this time in our hospital under my personal care.” Cornelius can hardly contain his anger as he stands, fists clenched tightly. “Dr Zaius, for what is Dr. Zira being treated?” Zaius never makes eye contact with either of the accused when answering. “Unfortunately, while being arrested, Dr Zira became the victim of an unfortunate accident and required immediate medical attention.” “Liar!” split the calm and quiet of the room! The high judge pointed at the older ape standing and ordered him silenced! Two gorillas standing just behind Cornelius grabbed him as one placed a leather strap around his neck and mouth in order to gag him while the other held him. His attempts to free himself were in vain. “Guards, restrain him!” Maximus shouted! Dr. Zaius looked to Maximus and Galen and makes a plea in the prisoner’s behalf. “Please, forgive the young one his outburst, his mind has obviously been affected from his time in the Forbidden Zone. As our Great Lawgiver warned us so long ago, the wastelands have been known to turn even the most stable of apes, stark raving mad!” At the inference of Cornelius losing his mind, Lucius cries out at the doctor. “That’s a lie, there’s nothing wrong with his mind! Your soldiers hurt Zira, I saw it!” Dr. Zaius turns in a fit of anger and yells in return! “Quiet, you!” “How dare you challenge my testimony or my diagnosis!” Then he composes himself while returning to his explanation. “The youngster is merely trying to make excuses for his friend and to that I am sympathetic. However, I believe that all three of them have conspired for some time and shown total disregard for our laws or beliefs.” “Who knows what has befallen them on their unsanctioned visits to that infernal place, perhaps we may never know.” Cornelius kneels on the floor, held forcibly as his companion struggles with the reality of what has taken place here. Maximus strikes the table with a large wooden gavel. “The council of judges will retire until tomorrow, the accused will be allowed to present proof of their innocence before being found guilty and sentenced.” He and the other judges rise and retreat from the large room through the same door from which they had emerged earlier as a soldier shuts it behind them. Lucius and his subdued partner are taken back to the wagon and tossed inside for the long ride back to prison. Now it is almost light out as they lie on a bed of mildewed straw while the continuous rocking of the horse drawn wagon slowly puts them to sleep.

 

     Wandering along the coastline of the Forbidden Zone, It’s been only a few hours since Taylor made the sickening discovery that would plague his mind for the rest of his life, however long that may be, he isn’t sure now. He sat in the surf; cool, salty water swept the sand from beneath him causing him to slowly sink down, almost imperceptibly. The female, unable to comprehend her mates anguish or the meaning of the enormous thing blocking their path. She walked forward, still holding the horse’s reins in her hand and led the animal closer. Looking up, Taylor watched her with mock amusement. “Yeah, take a good long look… a beauty isn’t she?” “Aw, you should have seen her when she was younger, about two thousand years ago when she was only two hundred years old.” “She used to welcome the poor and huddled masses, promising prosperity and hope.” On his knees he sit’s up and viciously throws a handful of wet sand at the monolith and yells! “Where’s my hope?! Where’s mine?!” He sits back on his heels as his anger and hopelessness melts away, leaving only a beaten man on his knees.

     Nova, initially startled by his outburst turns back to the rusty shell of a long forgotten promise. Once close enough she reaches out her hand cautiously, to touch the thing. Then, she stops and withdraws her hand back to her side and returns to the horse and climbs back into the saddle and trots over to her man. By now the sun has begun its daily descent and the air turns much cooler. Taylor gets to his feet and mindlessly climbs up to meet his mate and they begin riding past the statue. Once they had put a few hundred yards or so behind them, he pulls the reigns and halts the beast and turns to the decaying heap and looks one last time before riding away for good. An hour later he is forced to stop for the night and picks a soft spot in the tall grass on a hill overlooking the new stretch of coast and watches the sun finally set and night take its place. For the very first time since landing on this up-side down world with his fellow astronauts, he takes notice of the night sky! He looks up in every direction, scanning the cosmos until he finds what he’s searching for… the moon. But the moon looks much smaller or perhaps farther away than he remembers; its shape and surface look odd to him too. “I can’t quite figure it out. I know for sure ‘where’ I am now… but why are you so different?” He’s puzzled but then he notices Nova. He grins for the first time in days and she touches his cheek. “It’s almost like you understand something, like you missed my smile.” He says out loud. He continues to talk but never really to her, more like ‘at her’, like a lone narrator for his own amusement or to quell his loneliness. “Funny. Back in my time, I was considered something of a ladies-man. Oh, I never stayed with any ‘one’ girl for too long but I spent a lot of time with some of them.” “I wasn’t a pig, I treated them all right.” “I just never needed anybody, all of the time.” Nova’s face shows no emotion or glimpse of understanding his words, she just watches him. He looks at her with a keen interest for a moment. “You are beautiful, I’ll give you that.” “Back in my world, you would have been quite a prize for some rich executive type or unemployed musician.” “Yeah, the boys would have lined up for a date with you.” “I guess that makes me the luckiest guy in the world.” With his last remark he begins to laugh at himself. Nova settles up between him and the small fire burning and rests her head and sleeps.

 

     In a quiet cave deep underground, Lucius slumbers while Cornelius rests his head on a bunched up blanket and wonders where his beloved Zira is and if she is safe. “Zira, how did we ever get to this point?” “We were so happy, with our careers and the future seemed to hold so many possibilities; but now, ever since that human fell from the sky, our whole world has flipped. Humans, up until recently, I thought of them as wild creatures, dumb and vulgar.” “Then Taylor came, he wasn’t dumb, although I did still find him vulgar, did possess an intellect.” Lucius now awake, sat up. “I only saw him and spoke with him once, what was he like Cornelius?” “He was different, still a human, still smelled like they do but could talk, articulate like an ape, very curious.” Lucius walked over and sat next to his elder. “What did he tell you?” Cornelius fiddled with a small stick, drawing letters in the dirt. “He spoke of falling… excuse me, flying… from out in what he called outer space. He and one of his companions were captured in the hunt. Another was shot and killed immediately before.” Lucius’ head cocked to one side pensively. “What ever happened to the other human who was captured?” Cornelius recalled Taylor pointing him out in the street, during the mock trial. “He was the subject of one of Dr Zaius’ experiments. He had been lobotomized.” Lucius looked oddly at his friend. “Dr Zaius cut up his brain? Why? Didn’t he realize that human could have talked also?” Cornelius suddenly sat up and looked stunned. “Cornelius, what is it? What’s wrong?” Cornelius sat motionless, contemplating and putting facts together in his mind. “He had to have known that the human is his possession could talk. The only reason it took so long for Zira & I to find out about Taylor was because he had been wounded in the neck. He couldn’t talk because of the bullet she removed had caused inflammation to his larynx.” Lucius followed the train of thought. “So when Dr Zaius took Taylor’s friend into custody he must have tried to talk to Zaius!” Cornelius’ face shown revelation. “Yes! He would have attempted to explain himself just as Taylor did, unencumbered by injury.” “Taylor was correct! Dr Zaius had cut up his brain in order to prevent him from talking and upsetting everyone.” Lucius inquisitively took the next leap. “He thought he could hide the truth but he hadn’t counted on there being a second one! One talking human went against all odds. Two would be truly inconceivable.” New hope shown in Cornelius’ face.

 

     In a quiet hospital room on the second floor of the medical building adjacent to the University for Higher Learning, a female chimpanzee in a simple medical smock carries a tray on her way out as she is confronted by the incomparable D. Zaius, minister of Science. “Oh, excuse me doctor!” He waves her on and enters the room without a word. He is shadowed by his assistant and one of the attending physicians of the facility. “Doctor, how is the patient? Is she still sedated?” The other simian doctor rushes to answer, so as not to displease his superior or keep him waiting. “Yes, Dr Zaius, as you have strictly ordered. As to her status, she remains stable and has shown no sign damage, although, until she wakes we can’t be sure of any possible damage to the brain.” Zaius stands over the sleeping female, deep in thought. “Continue her regimen as I have instructed, she is not to be woke under any circumstances.” He then turns to his assistant. “I want the guard at her door keep strict watch over her at all times; no one except necessary staff is to be admitted to this room.” “Is that clear?” He looks around the room to make certain everyone is aware. The attending physician, Dr Armand seeks clarification. “Do we know the name of the patient yet, sir?” Dr Zaius spins around while leaving and faces his subordinate down with impunity. “That is none of your concern; simply tend to her as I have ordered!” He then exits the room, storming out and disappears down an empty hallway.

     A chimpanzee nurse close by, enters the room. “Why all the secrecy? Why is he so intent on keeping this patient hidden away on this deserted wing of the building?” Dr Armand is quick to address her. “See here, if you value your job as I do, you won’t ask questions.” “Dr Zaius is a very powerful ape and I for one, am not interested in committing career suicide.” “See to it that you don’t speak of this to anyone.” She reluctantly nods.

 

         

    

Chapter Three: Risen

 

#      Far beyond the outer rim of the dead land known to all apes as taboo, a small troop of figures traverse the unforgiving landscape. Not a search party per say, but in search of something known only to one of the apes, taking the lead. Dr Milo, the most decorated member of the Science Academy, held Phd’s in more than six separate disciplines including Mathmatics, Biology, Archeology and History. As a surgeon, even Dr Zaius took a back seat to Dr Milo’s talents and expertise. Considered among his circle as the most intelligent ape alive or dead, not including of course the Lawgiver himself. Despite the recent declaration by the High Council concerning the Forbidden Zone, Dr Milo and his team of researchers and hired muscle had set out earlier that same week without notice of the authorities or military. Seven well equipped wagons full of provisions and building materials along with ten horses and six gorillas accompanied the scientist and the other four chimpanzees on his private quest. The scientist rides next to his assistant in the lead wagon. “Dr Milo, aren’t we putting ourselves in danger of being discovered? Surely the gorillas will report us on returning home when we’ve finished out mission.” Dr Milo looked at his assistant. “We are in no danger my boy, these particular gorillas were passed over for acceptance into the army and so share no more love of the authorities than we do. Ovis, in fact has a strong dislike for the organization since being rejected for service.” “Rejection from military duty is the worst thing that can happen to a gorilla, a most serious and permanent dishonor.” “Ovis has been in my private employ for two years and he and his friends despise the law.” He pats the nervous simian on the arm. “You’re in good company here.”

     Having been three days of unrelenting heat, the caravan is close to exhausting their water supply. Food and other essentials are still in abundance however. Without let up, the group presses on until finally reaching the end of their maps. From here on out, the land ahead of them is totally uncharted territory and has never been seen by ape. Even their Sacred Scrolls in their infinite wisdom and guidance, contain no information where this journey is taking them. The sky is bright and blinding one minute and then suddenly turns dark and filled with clashes of brilliant white lightning the next, then back again. Electricity singes the air overhead, leaving the metallic smell of ozone behind. The less educated of the band, show signs of fear and concern from the ever changing atmosphere and struggle at times to keep the beasts of burden under control. But at long last, their perseverance pays off and the head wagon comes to an abrupt stop, as does the wagons and apes following behind. “Just as predicted by the talking human, the river beyond the barren wastes does exist!”

   The first wagon moved to the edge of the divide as the Dr examined the rock formations for a safe route to the bottom of the canyon. Eventually he settled on a track that ran at an angle and cut through a pass making a clear pathway for the river below. Slowly the entire troop reached the lowland and made camp next to the river’s edge. Early the next morning the entire expedition rose and packed back up for the rest of their sojourn. Along the muddy bank of the winding water, the wagons continued on until the broad stream opened up into a much larger body of water creating a vast lake. Dr Milo called for all wagons to make a circle and set up camp within for safety. Close to two hours passed before the horses and gear were settled and the Dr, along with his team of researchers made a survey of the geography at hand. “Dr. may I ask what it is that we are looking for?” The senior of the group sat in the sand writing on a tablet, not stopping to answer. Then, as if waking from a deep sleep he jumped up from his resting place. “There!” He stated with excitement while pointing. The others searched the water for any sign of what the Dr was directing them but none could make out anything of interest. Each chimpanzee looked at the other and then to the next for some explanation but no one had any idea what had the ape so happy. “Dr Milo, forgive us sir but could you be more specific?” The Dr laughed out loud. All present were unnerved, having never seen the old ape laugh. When he had composed himself, he handed his tablet to the senior assistant and walked back to camp. The other apes gathered around Felix trying to see what was so important. On the stone tablet are a series of numbers and a crude drawing of the lakes boarder. Inside the odd drawing is a small group of concentric circles. “I have no idea what this is.” Felix admitted to his colleagues.

 

     Cornelius and Lucius feast on the scraps of rotten vegetables and putrid fruit left from their jailor’s dinner the night before and discuss what will follow next. “I don’t mean to cause you distress Lucius, but I’m afraid we may be looking at excommunication, followed by exile, if we’re lucky.” Lucius looks to his friend with tearing eyes. “I just wish we knew where aunt Zira was and if she’s ok.” Cornelius has been in agony and distress of his own but chose to keep it hidden, until he can’t hold back his tears any longer. Lucius sees his friend’s pain and tries to change the subject. “I can’t understand how Dr Zaius can twist the truth like that!” “I mean, I’m not so naive, I don’t expect grownups to treat us with respect, like we’re adults.” “The older generation just doesn’t understand that the world has changed and things are different from when they were young apes.” “But to lie to the council like he did, is inexcusable!” The young simian throws what’s left of his apple core at the stone wall. “I know it looks hopeless. When you’re older and spent as much time in academic and social circles as I have, you’ll understand the politics of adulthood.” “What is called, polite society, is actually just an agreed upon intricate system of lying, while smiling at your enemy.” ”Ha ha ha.” He chuckles to himself. “How can you laugh? Its madness!” “Yes Julius, it is but it’s all they’ve ever known.” “And to upset the status quo is unforgivable to them. Anything or one who threatens that delicate balance is always despised.” “It may shock you to know that even our holiest of prophets, our Lawgiver, was persecuted in his early years.” Julius sits upright in surprise! “Persecuted? The great Lawgiver!?” Cornelius leans forward in order to hold his young friend’s attention. “At one time, ions ago, before our modern era, in the time of legend, our great Lawgiver, was ill treated by those who sought power and those who possessed it.” “His contemporaries mocked him for his beliefs.” “It wasn’t until after the Final War, when our ancestors prevailed over the Sick Ones, that the Lawgiver was given the mantle of ‘Prophetu Maxium’, and with his divine guidance, brought our kind out of darkness and into the Simian Age.” “Apekind was on the brink of extinction but the Sick Ones were completely eviscerated from the face of the planet. That was the beginning. In the centuries that passed, after the death of the Lawgiver, another prophet would pick up that mantle and add to the Sacred Scrolls, and then again and so on.” Lucius couldn’t believe his ears. “There was more than one lawgiver?” Cornelius nodded. “The scrolls were written over the course of two hundred years, by no less than five successive writers, all known as the Lawgiver.”

 

     Far away, Taylor guides his steed through a narrow pass along a gorge overlooking a winding dry river below. He pulls the leather straps to one side and then the other steering the horse along the narrow path that leads downward and directs his attention to the empty stretch of dry sand. “Too bad you never got a chance to meet my fellow travelers, there was Dodge and Landon. Oh, and don’t forget Stewart.” “Now there was a real twentieth century woman.” His words bounced off of the rocks on both sides of their pathway. “She was something, an Eve to us three Adams.” “She didn’t make it; fate dealt her a gruesome hand.” Nova remained silent as always. “Dodge was a good man, though he had his hang-ups. I guess we all have our own idiosyncrasies.” “But Landon, he was my friend. A fine human being, only I rode him constantly about his blind optimism and adherence to society’s rules. He swallowed their dogma without question. His rhetoric drove me nuts.” “Still, he was loyal and a good conversationalist. What I wouldn’t give for one of our heated debates on morality right now.” Time seemed to pass slowly as the ride on. He stops to take a swig of water and hand the water-skin to Nova as well, before moving on. “Yeah, the life we left behind was filled with hatred and violence, unrest and turmoil at every turn. Oh sure, some tried to find solutions to man’s problems but their efforts were blocked by the men who protected the status quo. Much like Dr Zaius and his ape council back there.” Daylight began to fade and the shadows began growing larger. Night was coming and with it the bitter cold. Taylor found a natural indentation in the rock formation and made a small fire. Sitting close to one another, he and the woman ate some of the dried fruit Zira had packed for them as Taylor spoke on, as much for his own sanity than anything else. “Did I ever tell you how I came to be an astronaut in the first place?” “I was a young fighter pilot in the Army Air corps, later renamed the Airforce. After the war I became a test pilot, that’s when the A.N.S.A. eggheads came calling.” Nova watched his lips move almost like she anticipated his words but of course that was out of the question. “They asked me to join the space agency and fly to the stars.” “I never expected them to put a man in space for real. I went along for the ride and the money they guaranteed me. Who know they were serious?” “That was the first time saw the thing that changed my life and caused me to question everything I ever knew.” He looked down at her face in the firelight. She was starting to get sleepy and her eyes were nearly shut. “Ok, enough for tonight, I’ll tell you the rest of the story tomorrow.” Keeping watch over the fire, he held her tight under his left arm as he drifts off.

    

      Early the next morning the filthy man and woman rise and return to the open range before them, slumped in the worn leather saddle, Nova wide awake, rides clinging to her mates back while he struggles to keep his eyes open, he finally succumbs. The horse instinctively clomps on in search of fresh water or delightful pastures of green grass to satiate its growing hunger. The mare wanders on for a few miles following the dry riverbed, hooves cutting a shallow curved print into the hard, cracked mud aimlessly trudging on until for no foreseeable reason it simply stops. Taylor is wakened by the sudden halt and raises his eyes. His eyelids are parched and desiccated; the slightest movement feels like sandpaper drawn across his iris. Without warning, the earth begins to shake and quake violently under the beasts legs. Nova is startled and frightened beyond belief, her untamed fingernails biting into her man’s flesh, puncturing his skin and causing small trickles of warm blood to streak down his body. The adrenaline in his veins, drown out the pain inflicted by the girl as her fights the reins in his fists to steady the poor steed! Then it all stops! As quickly as it had begun, it now disappears. No rumble or sound, just absolute silence blankets the scene all around them. Taylor can feel the horses muscles relax under him and calm settles in again. The woman however shows no sign of calm and continues to clutch his ribs. Now he feels the sting of his salty sweat saturating and exacerbating his open wounds. He shakes free of her grip and slides down off the horse. As soon as his left foot touches down onto the brown dust, flames shoot twenty feet, straight up from the ground and encircle them all! He winces at first out of preservation but quickly realizes that there is now heat coming from the inferno. Then once again it subsides leaving all three of the creatures befuddled. The man searches the horizon for something, anything but finds nothing but sand and stone for miles in either direction. “Well, whatever it was its over for now.” He looks at his mate. “Did you see it too? Or was it a mirage?” “No it wasn’t a mirage or figment of my imagination.” “You’re scared, you saw it too, and the horse.” “No, there was something there and then nothing.” His mind unable to comprehend any logical answer for what they just experienced. “Then again, I haven’t seen anything logical to speak of in this place.” Nova gives no response and he doesn’t expect one. He smiles at her. “You have no idea what to make of it, or me I think sometimes.” Holding on to the horses mane, he is about to swing himself back into the saddle, when! “CRRRRRKKKKKKK!!!!” The ground in front of them splits wide open and a jagged wall of stone shoots forth, straight up from deep inside of the rupture, blocking their path! The horse, startled, arcs up onto its rear legs and kicks with his front causing Nova to be flung off the beasts back and crumples to the ground. Taylor loses control of the animal and falls backwards. Nova looks to see her man fall back and disappear through the solid rock jutting up. He’s gone! Her eyes go wide and out of sheer terror of losing her mate as well as her being left completely alone, screeches out for the first time in her life; a word comes from her neanderthal lips… “Tay-leerr!!!”

 

     Within the confines of the ape city known best known by its official name “Simia”; Dr Zaius meets with Dr Maximus and Secretary of State, Minister Kratus, in his office high above the city square in the Capitol building. “Dr Zaius, how are things coming along with our special assignment?” “All is going according to the plan I laid out for the council, I see no reason to prolong our investigation of the scientist chimpanzee, Cornelius or his assistant Lucius.” “They have suffered enough. I would like permission from the council, to release them both into my custody, where I can keep close watch over them.” Minister Kratus now interjects. “The two chimpanzees are too simple and ineffectual to be mixed up in treason, let alone the masterminds behind a seditious plot to over through our government.” “At best, they are a mere nuisance.” Dr Zaius once again takes the opportunity to direct the conversation. “Agreed, they will serve the community better once they have spent a few weeks servitude in our hospital. Cleaning and caring for our sick will purge any vigor from their ambitious little minds.” The wisdom and final say of chief councilor, Dr Maximus concludes the session. “I concur doctor. We have more pressing matters, specifically, the uprising military power led by General Ursus, that gentle-apes, must be the object of our immediate focus.” “Very well, Dr Zaius, take the chimpanzees into your custody and keep them out of trouble and my way.” The orangutans shake hands and part, leaving Dr Zaius to his work. He then calls to his aide and sends him to the quarry with an official order from the council to turn over the two prisoner chimps, Lucius and Cornelius into the custody of the Minister of Science, Dr Zaius himself. As Dr Maximus and Minister Kratus exit the building in hopes of catching up with the City Planning Committee to discuss plans for the upcoming fall festival when they are accosted by the General. “Greetings Dr, Minister, I am on my way to see Dr Zaius, I trust he has kept the council up to date on our joint effort?” “Yes General, Minister Kratus and I have just come from his chambers. We are delighted be allies of the military and hope to persuade our fellow Assemblymen to support our little enterprise.” Ursus looks at the two politicians with suspicious eyes although keeping up the veneer of friendliness. “I bid you both, good day then.” The orangutans hastily leave and dart into a waiting carriage, waiting for them. Ursus continues into the main hall and up the staircase to his appointment with Dr Zaius. The aged gorilla takes the stairs with the vigor of an ape half his age. All his life has been in preparation for this campaign and he is eager to begin. He knocks on the door next to a name plate lettered in the new style of writing: Dr. Zaius it reads. “Come in!” He hears from inside and opens the door and enters. “Ah, General, welcome to One Ape Place.” “Thank you doctor, I’ve never had the privilege of entering these hallowed halls until now, most impressive.” Zaius gestures for the gorilla to have a seat opposite his own. “So, what of our expedition? Have you worked out the logistics to our venture?” Ursus leans restfully and confident in his chair and speaks candidly. “My men are well trained and our supplies and artillery is ready and waiting for the orders to move out immediately. We have only to discuss your role in all of this, doctor.” Zaius has written out a speech and rehearsed it in anticipation of this moment. Any slip of the tongue or ill worded phrase might tip the military ape off. He cannot afford to make a mistake at this late junction. “I will be accompanying you out into the unknown as both observer and spiritual advisor to both you and our soldiers. We don’t have a clear idea of what exactly, we might encounter out there beyond the Forbidden Zone, if anything at all.” “As Minister of science it is my duty to investigate and report what I see. Likewise it is the ordained responsibility of the Chief Defender of the Faith to offer guidance and unfortunately, give last rights to those who fall in battle.” The general is able to find no holes in the doctor’s logic. “I thank you doctor, for being willing to avail yourself.” “Will there not be a void left here without you?” Not to be caught off guard, Zaius has put his plan in motion already. “Not to worry, I have recommended an interim Chief Minister to attend to the spiritual and scientific obligations in my absence.” All contingencies being counted, the general concedes. “Let us then, set a date and time to leave and the sooner the better.” Zaius offers a suggestion. “Perhaps you and I together should call an assembly tomorrow afternoon and announce our plan together.” Ursus is surprised and pleased with the idea. “Absolutely! Tomorrow in the amphitheater we will convene!” “Until then doctor, I leave you in good health.” “And you also general.” The two apes go their separate ways to get ready and Zaius to inform the council of his success.

 

     Somewhere deep inside the outer rim of the Forbidden Zones northern edge, Dr Milo and his team continue their search of the dead lake. Felix alone in a small row boat nearly half way across the western shore, nervously rows while dragging a long rope with him from his companions on the land. “Have I mentioned how much I hate water!? I really hate water you know!” His fellow chimps and a few gorilla’s chuckle and point. “Yeah, keep laughing, ha ha!” He exclaims sarcastically. Dr Milo uses a parchment cone and hollers to his assistant. “Stop rowing and drop your anchor!” Felix is more than happy to comply and stands up in order to toss the anchor overboard. But when he does, the momentum casts him backwards and over the side of the tiny vessel and into the dark water! His contemporaries burst into laughter immediately and then the waterlogged chimps head pops out of the cold liquid, choking and spitting in anger! “Help! Help!” Dr Milo even snickers a bit before ordering the others to join him in the other boats overturned in the sand. With six boats in all dragging ropes to the exact spot Felix had reached. The doctor calls for his diving hood. The wooden, bucket shaped apparatus fit over his simian head and strapped under his armpits snuggly, he drops over the side of his boat tethered to a thin hose supplying him oxygen while under water. Nervously his team watches and waits for him to return. Tiny air bubbles surface next to the boat where the scientist submersed. They watch with eager anticipation, hoping that the elder will suddenly pop up from the murky depths unscathed. Finally, the bubbles become larger and more frequent until at last their teachers head burst out of the water and they see his simian features behind the thin glass face shield. “Dr! What did you see?” Several voices clamor at him at once until he is dragged back into the boat and removes the helmet. “I’ve found it!” He yells in excitement! “I’ve found it!” He repeats over and over to the consternation of his students and observers. Felix manages to pull the old chimp near him and makes eye contact and asks. “What is it Dr? What did you find down there?” Milo stops yelling at the instant recognition of his student’s eager face. “Felix! My boy! I have seen it with my own eyes! It’s sitting on the bottom of the lake just as the talking human said it would be!” Again, the young chimpanzee assistant repeats to his superior. “What Dr.?” “What is sitting on the floor of the lake?” Dr Milo smiles and says in a very soft voice, like a child so excited that he can barely contain his enthusiasm. “The space ship.” His words slow and properly enunciated to deliver the maximum effect.

 

     In the sub-basement of the main medical building near the capital building of Ape City a young female chimp slowly flutters her eyelids awake and focus returns to her sight to see the face of her dear betrothed. “Cornelius!” Her fiancé smiles in ecstasy. “Zira.” He speaks softly to her so as not to startle her. “Oh, Cornelius, I had the worst dream!” Her eyes still cloudy and unable to sit upright, she holds her loves hands. “It’s alright my dear, try not to move. You’ve been under heavy sedation.” Her brows narrow and she looks up into Cornelius face. “Why, why have I been under seda… sedat…” Her words become slurred and she drifts back off to sleep. Cornelius motioned for Lucius to help him load Zira into the wagon and take her home. Outside, around the building as he pulls the wagon around to the double doors to wait on Cornelius. Off to the side of the wagon, a female chimpanzee waves to Lucius and walks over to him. She offers him a note and smiles. “It’s for Cornelius and Zira, make sure to give it to them as soon as you see them.” Then she turns and disappears into the city streets.

Chapter Four

 

   “George! George?” A woman’s voice calls out from somewhere in a misty ether. “George honey, please take care of the baby for me.” Taylor looks around his sparsely decorated apartment and endless piles of moving boxes stacked all over the living room. “George, did you hear me?” George Taylor rises up from his favorite easy chair and walks into the room next to the bathroom and sees his daughter lying in her crib. Instinctively he walks over and reaches down to scoop her tiny body up and nuzzle her close to his chest and under his chin. “Hi there, how’s daddy’s little girl?” He asks the infant. He notices her new baby smell and smiles like any other new father. “George!” The woman’s voice rushes in on him again, only this time it sounds much louder and closer. “George Taylor? Why didn’t you answer me?” The man turns and smiles at his wife. Whispering he presents their baby. “Shhhh… she’s asleep.” Carrol Taylor looks at her husband the doting father. “I wish I didn’t have to leave” He tells her. “Up until last week I wanted nothing more than to break the sound barrier in a tin-can rocket, now I just want to watch her sleep.” Carrol gazes lovingly and starts to say something, her lips move but there’s no sound to be heard. She gestures and continues as if she has something important to tell him but straining his ears, he hears nothing at all. Then in a flash, she’s gone and as he looks down he sees that his arms are empty. He feels empty as well. Then all of a sudden he hears a man’s voice. “C’mon Chuck! What are you wait’n for?” Now he finds himself sitting in the cockpit of a Mustang P-41 fighter plane. His best friend Maddox is standing on the narrow ladder next to the plane holding out a facemask. “Well, jugg-head, put it on. Or are you gonna hold your breath the whole flight?” Taylor grabs the flight-mask and secures the hose into the nozzle and switches on the oxygen coupler. A rush of fresh O2 fills his nostrils and he gives his friend the thumbs up. “Ok buddy, have a good flight and be careful up there!” Taylor is guided into position by the flight crew and the flagman drops the red flag to signal. Instinctively, Taylor pulls back on the propulsion lever and slams the joystick forward, rocketing him and his plane straight ahead at breakneck speed and up into the air! Leaving behind the aircraft carrier, USS Westmoreland. After a few seconds the air controller comes over his headset. “This is Fort Knox to gold leader… do you copy gold leader?” Taylor responds. “Yes, this is gold leader, I copy Fort Knox, go ahead.” “Gold leader, set course for 1.295- 34 niner! Copy?” Came over the headset. “Copy Fort Knox, I am setting the…” Just then, before he is able to complete his sentence, a MIG-22 firefly cuts him off and disrupts his signal. Taylor fights the stick to control the plane and takes off after the MIG. He finds the enemy plane in the clouds and pursues but isn’t fast enough to overtake him when he notices something drop from the planes undercarriage. His eyes follow the small dark object as it plummets downward and slams into the carrier! His heart sinks as he watches in horror as the carrier bursts into flames. He closes his eyes and tries to cry out in frustration but again, there is only deafening silence. When he looks up again, he sees his friend waving from a hospital bed. “Hey buddy, took you long enough! I’ve been in here two days, what took you so long?” He enters the small hospital room and laughs at the familiar, toothy grin. “You sure know how to milk an injury!” He shouts to his best friend. “What are you talkin about, Chuck? I was seriously wounded!” Taylor sits down in a folding chair next to Maddox’ bed. “You bumped your head, not exactly purple heart worthy.” Lieutenant Maddox twists his expression. “You gotta lotta nerve, I had the deck blown out from under me while you were playin around in the clouds!” Maddox said playfully. “Oh right, you may have seen some action but that was nothing compared to the dog-fight I won, pal.” Both men ribbed one another and made light of a situation that had almost claimed both their lives in a single afternoon. “I’m just glad you made it buddy. When I saw that MIG drop its payload and the carrier went up…” Maddox stopped his friend and tried to lighten the mood. “All right, don’t go getting all sentimental on me, we were both lucky.” “But, doc says I’ll be good to go soon and I figure, since you let that Jap knock me outta the game, you own me the first drink.” Taylor laughed at his friend once again. “You’ll use any excuse not to pay!” They laughed and shared stories for several hours until Taylor remembered an appointment and had to leave. As he walked out of the room he heard Maddox call out after him one last time. “Don’t forget Chuck! You buy the first round!” Taylor woke from the dream and took a deep breath.

 

     “Don’t forget Chuck! You buy the first round!” The memory of that afternoon and those words came to Colonel James T. Maddox’ mind as he sat at the controls of the Asro-Pass T-11G rescue capsule as it passed through the third leg of its mission, past the rings of Saturn. He checks the chronometer and sees the Earth Time clock is at July 12, 1972. Just below it he read the space-time clock set to mirror that of Icarus One and it read July 12, 1976 and climbing quickly. Even in the surreal regions of deep space, his mind kept taking him back to the war in Korea and his friend, George Taylor. He remembered the first time they had met in basic training and George had to run four miles behind the troop carrier to make up for being late to roll-call. They served aboard an aircraft carrier together for nearly two years. Maddox, in the flight crew and Taylor, pilot. When the war was over, Maddox hadn’t wanted to join the space program at first and refused the offer for about a year before George had talked him into coming along for the ride. He hadn’t been the same since hearing the news of Taylor’s expedition being lost. He recalled the warm Wednesday morning when he sat enjoying his coffee at home, seated on his small terrace and watching the seagulls climb the airstream above the ocean waves. The phone rang and at first he just ignored it. After it rattled on for nearly a minute straight, he decided to answer it, annoyed. “Hello?!” The voice on the other end belonged to ANSA Mission Control Leader Thomas Morehead. Morehead had been one of Taylor and Maddox’ superiors while in the Air force. No longer working for the government, he was still one of ANSA’s most trusted controllers and had overseen the Icarus Project from the beginning. He could still hear his sullen tone as he learned his friend’s fate. “Hello Jim, It’s Icarus, she’s missing. We lost radio contact over an hour ago and haven’t had any luck reaching her.” “I could really uses you here at the Cape if you’d come.” James Maddox didn’t stop to think it over. He immediately agreed and drove down the A1-A and cleared the security hut in less than twenty minutes. After several exasperating days and countless attempts to connect with the small space craft, he and the rest of the operators met with NASA brass in a closed door meeting to discuss their options. “Gentlemen, I’ve been authorized to take control of this operation and to put a second team together in order to make contact with Colonel Taylor and his team.” “It will be considered a rescue mission, unless it becomes apparent that the Icarus has been destroyed.” “Mr. Morehead will be tasked with selecting the team members and training them for space travel.” Maddox wasn’t interested in waiting for an invitation and jumped up first. “I volunteer to pilot the rescue vehicle myself sir.” Thomas Morehead was visibly shaken. “I appreciate your dedication and concern for your buddy, Jim, but we need you here.” “Don’t worry, I have two pilots ready and waiting to follow George’s trajectory and retrieve him and his people if it’s at all possible.” But Maddox wasn’t hearing any of it. “Sorry Tom, but I’m going after Taylor. You can send anyone you want with me but I’m going!” After a few hours of discussion, Jim was given the go-ahead. In less than five weeks, he and some kid from the Naval Academy who had just transferred to the ANSA American National Space Association program, Captain Christopher Brent were scheduled to leave the earth in search of Icarus One, as it was now being referred to. Icarus Two would follow the first vessels flight plan and coordinates in hopes of discovering the ships final destination. All at mission control hoped and prayed that the ship and its crew would be found safe and intact.

 

     Four weeks pass quickly and Maddox and Morehead take the small elevator to the top of the launch pads twenty story uppermost deck to meet with the others involved with the training sequence in preparation for launch day the following week. The doors open revealing a young captain and an older gentleman in a white lab coat. Brent, he already knew but the other man was a mystery. Stepping off of the elevator, Morehead raises his hand to introduce the new comer. “Jim, this is Dr Hasslien.” Jim recognizes the name but can’t remember his position or part in all of this. “Dr Hasslien, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” The older man is stoic and displays none of the social graces in reply. “I’d like to get to work as soon as possible if you don’t mind.” Jim is caught off guard then decides he isn’t going to like this guy. The four men start checking the equipment and rechecking until the old man finally addresses Maddox. “I do hope you’ve had adequate time to study the papers I sent to you, Mr. Maddox.” Jim looks at his copilot and then the commander. “Papers? What papers?” Instantly, Hasslien’s face shows signs of being perturbed. “I sent my papers outlining my thesis on ‘Time/ Space relativity in conjunction to speed and distance as it relates to what I have designated as the ‘Hasslien Curve’.” “You haven’t read it?” Maddox was confused. “I’m sorry doctor; I haven’t received any such papers.” Morehead now interjected. “That’s my fault doctor; I haven’t had an opportunity to brief the men on your theory yet.” The elder of the group turned and entered the lift, pressed a button and dropped from sight. “Well. That seemed to piss him off.” Jim said out loud. The commander slapped him on the back and looked at Brent. “Remind me to give you those papers when we get back.” He sputtered. With that, the men went back to their prep work and forgot all about the funny little man.

 

     In Ape City, General Ursus steps out onto a balcony high above the floor to the stone arena. Next to him is Dr Zaius as well as members of the High Council. Everywhere, gorillas and orangutans of notable station, anxiously await the announcement that has been promised according to rumor and conjecture. At last the day has come. Ursus raises his hand to stifle the crowd. After a few moments, the arena is silent and the General begins. “Members of ape society, dignitaries and esteemed guests. It is time to set aside superstition and fear! Now is the time to seize the day.” “For centuries, we have lived and adhered to scripture and prophecy according to our divine Lawgiver. But now is a new time. Now is our time and it is time to write our own history if we are to survive!” “Like you, I am a simple ape. I trust and live by the edicts of our great prophet. But it is evident to us all that we have a new dilemma. Dr Zaius and the High Council have bestowed upon me the privilege of leading our armies into battle. A battle for the future of all ape-kind, a Holy War for survival!” Apes of all station and position jump to their feet and cheer! Ursus turns to Zaius and the two conspirators smile.

 

     Far from Ape City in the region of Caspius minor, in the lower eastern lowlands, a small horse drawn wagon skips along the narrow country road dividing long rows of growing corn. Up in the driver’s seat sits Lucius holding the reins and pushing the team of ponies to make haste in the direction of the outer limits of the territory just before reaching the Forbidden Zone again. Eager to search the ruins and devastation caused by Dr Zaius and his horde of mongrels, he plans to retrieve any evidence of pre-simian history. In the rear of the buck-board he sits holding his dear Zira in his arms. The note given to Lucius earlier upon entering the hospital is carefully tucked into the upper chest pocket of the young ape’s tunic. On it are directions to Dr. Milo’s expedition as well as a detailed explanation of his success. It was close to evening when they usually ate dinner and Lucius stomach began to remind him but he wasn’t one for complaining and knew it wouldn’t matter all the way out here beyond civilization anyway. He kept his eye on the road while Cornelius tended to his darling Zira. Cornelius had been cradling Zira in his arms and wishing he had never seen or even heard of the human, Taylor. His eyes grew heavy and he slowly slipped into a deep sleep. His sleep had been so disturbed by recent events that he succumbed without a struggle. As the sun continued declining in the South Lucius drove the mare onward in search of a good place to stop for the night when he spotted someone approaching from clear across the wide expanse between the mountains in the distance. In time he could make out two, maybe three riders headed straight for them. His first instinct was to alert his passengers for guidance but decided to take the initiative and abandon the roadway and seek refuge among the hills until the riders had safely passed. Fearing that the riders might be looking for the fugitives he brought the wagon to a stop in between thick brush and trees for cover. He sat watching the gorillas as they got closer, ready to lash the reins and put the horse in motion, should they catch sight of him and charge. When at last it seemed as though he was going to be forced to flee soon, he noticed the gorillas weren’t wearing traditional uniforms. Instead they wore the clothes of hospital staff. Suddenly Lucius saw one of the gorillas faces close enough to recognize him as one of Dr Milo’s assistants! Realizing that they were on the same side he brought the wagon into the clearing and hailed his friends with a hardy wave, likewise Torq and Ovis waved back. “Hey! Am I glad to see you apes!” The two riders took point in order to lead Lucius back to Dr Milo’s campsite. “We were staring to think you weren’t coming Lucius.” The young chimpanzee smiled. “I was beginning to think I wasn’t going to either.” “Is that Dr Zira and Dr Cornelius in the back?” asked Ovis. “Yeah, they’ve been asleep for a while now. Zira’s sick.” Torq rode next to the wagon to serve as protector while Ovis took the lead. “Follow me and we should be in sight of camp just before dark.”

     Cornelius woke from his quiet slumber to the surprise of the sound of waves crashing on a beach somewhere in the dark. He looked about and finally saw apes gathered around a small campfire not far from his position. He could feel his love still in the grip of his aching arms. He gently lowered her head onto a soft shoulder sack for a pillow and slid down from the wagon. As he did, Lucius noticed the movement out of the corner of his eye and rose to meet him. “Cornelius! Hey, come on over and eat something. You’ve been out for a long time and Dr. Milos apes found us.” The older ape hugged his younger companion. “Lucius, you’ve done Zira and I very proud.” “You are a good ape.” Lucius couldn’t help but blush and slapped Cornelius playfully on the back. Together they walk to the fire and joined the research team for dinner and conversation. “Dr Cornelius, It is so good to see you and Dr Zira safe with us.” Dr Milo greeted his younger colleague. “I have been most fortunate in procuring the human vessel from the dead seabed.” Cornelius huddled next to the brilliant Dr. and listened as he filled him in on his most recent discoveries inside the strange ship. After a quick rundown of the last few day’s events talk turned to the incarceration of he and his friends. “Zira unfortunately took most of the brunt of the attack.” Cornelius explained. “Lucius and I suffered in prison but my mind and heart were more distracted by the fate of my dear wife.” “I was so distraught with worry after not hearing from her and no one willing to give me any information at all.” Dr Milo nodded knowingly. “I know firsthand how the authorities treat us chimpanzees, like we are lesser apes, even though it is our kind that has contributed the most to our culture and technology.” “It is pride and prejudices that fuel the orangutan’s distaste for equality among apes. The gorillas are less interested in social classes. They only value strength and power.” The old scientist stands and paces in front of the firelight. “Unwittingly, the strongest faction of simian society is actually the weakest.” Realizing that some apes in his company might take offense… “Present company excepted of course.” And the Dr bows respectfully to his gorilla companions. “The real power lies in the control of information. The orangutans have wielded the scepter for far too long and in doing so have suppressed the truth of our beginnings and history from our own kind.” “They rob us all of our true identity while feeding our children lies.” Cornelius rests a calming hand on the older simian’s shoulder. “All of our kind are indebted to you for your unwavering dedication to exposing the deceit in our religion and history, Dr.” “But I’m afraid revolution is still a long way off at the moment and I must retire to my wife’s side until she is well enough to handle my absence.” The old chimpanzee smiles understandingly and waves his young associate off. “Yes, she needs you more than we do at the moment dear boy. Go and tend to her.” Cornelius is joined by his nephew at the wagon. “Lucius, I will stay here with her tonight. Please keep watch that we are not taken by surprise by our pursuers.”

     Lucius and his two gorilla friends take first watch on a ridge overlooking the camp while the others all settle in for the night. Ovis sits facing the camp while Lucius and Torq take turns sleeping while the other keeps watch over the northern mountain range from where the came originally. All is peaceful as Lucius looks up at the stars above and wonders to himself what it must be like to sail through the sky as Taylor and his companions from space had done before crashing into the dead sea. Ovis notices Lucius is still awake and choses to ask him about the humans. “Lucius, is it true what they say about the human… that he fell from the sky?” Lucius lay on the ground a few feet away. “Yes, the one found by Zira after the army returned from the fields, he was from the sky.” The large ape looked out at the expanse before him. “But how is that possible?” “A human flying like a bird, it doesn’t seem possible.” Lucius had to admit that he wasn’t exactly sure himself. “To be honest I never saw him fall from the sky myself. I just know what Zira and Cornelius told me.” Ovis laughed. “Ah, c’mon, they were just having fun with you, right?” “No, in fact I was with them when we went into the Forbidden Zone with Dr Zaius.” Ovis was even more intrigued now. “You mean Dr Zaius took you along? What did you find out there? I heard that nothing could survive out there, everything is poison.” Lucius turned onto his side and rested his head on his arm and looked at Ovis. “The human had a name, he called himself Taylor.” “That’s an odd name… sounds like something a talking human might come up with.” Lucius snickered. “To him, Ovis might sound like a strange name.” Ovis shook his head.

 

Chapter Five

 

     Ape City, 12:00 noon Friday 12/11/3978…

     Inside the Capitol building on the third floor in a small chapel, Heratio, assistant to Dr. Zaius quietly enters the room and takes a seat in one of the pews near the back in order to wait for Zaius to finish his prayers of devotion. Zaius makes a gesture with his right hand in front of his face and then opens his eyes and raises his head as he stands to full height. “Is everything in order, Heratio?” The young orangutan is taken back by the fact that his superior already sensed his presence. “Uh… Yes Doctor. All of the arrangements have been verified and confirmed. Your horse has been brought around and waiting for you.” Zaius continues to stand facing the graven image of the Lawgiver. “And the maps and provisions I requested?” Again the subordinate answers humbly. “Yes Doctor, I placed them in your saddle bags myself.” “Good!” Zaius turns away from the idol and looks at his assistant with grave seriousness. “Heratio.” “you have been a loyal and capable assistant over the past year and I want you to know that your help has been invaluable to me. I want to thank you.” The young ape stands from his seat with a look of shock on his simian face. In all the time he has known the old Doctor he has never once until now shown even a slight hint of recognition or appreciation from him. Now the young ape begins to worry. “Dr. Zaius, I thank you sincerely for your kind words, it has been a privilege and an honor to serve you sir.” “But if I may be so bold… may I ask why you are telling me this now?” Zaius said nothing but the look in his old eyes gave silent witness to the fact that his mentor and superior was aware that he would never again have the chance to say these sentiments. The words remained unspoken but both apes realized that this was it; the Doctor would not be coming back. Zaius walked passed the young ape and left the room and descended the stairs to the first floor lobby and exited the capitol for the last time. Coming through the front doors he saw a long procession of soldiers on horseback followed closely behind them an endless sea of foot soldiers assembled in long rows that stretched out of site. Immediately facing him sat General Ursus on his black stallion, ready for discovery and if the war monger had anything to say about it, battle! The aged orangutan dropped down the steps slowly and took position next to his personal steed who had been his transport on many official occasions and been brought to take him on his last campaign. An aid brought a small stool for the old ape and assisted him into the saddle. “General Ursus! I am ready, please take the lead!”

     Ursus raised his mighty gantlet high into the air and brought his arm down with a swift down-stroke which put the military machine on notice. Then he tugged his horse’s reins and lead the largest army of apes ever amassed for the single most important conquest in simian history. As the convoy wound through the city streets groups of chimpanzees, opposed to the war, took to the sidewalks to chant tidings of peace. Their pleas for reason went ignored as the gorillas simply pushed them aside and proceeded on to their destiny. No one could prevent or put a stop to the events that where soon about to take place. The military juggernaut was on the move and nothing was going to get in its way!

 

     Likewise, on a tiny stretch of beach somewhere along the dead sea a small band of determined apes is busy at work. Their efforts to find the small craft under the poison waters had been fruitful and now all were busy constructing a rig and tackle of ropes and pulleys in order to drag the strange vessel from the murky waters. As exciting as it all was, there was mixed apprehension among the team. The nature of their activities were scarcely known and the fact that it was after all the Forbidden Zone, made the outing still seem sketchy to those who knew that Dr. Milo had the permits to be so far out into the wastes. Of Course the good doctor hadn’t briefed any of them to the fact that he was critically overextending the parameters of his permits, which had recently been rescinded by the High Council in lieu of the impending war. He chose to keep those details to himself giving his team plausible deniability if found out. But the truth in the scientists mind was that there would be no excuse that could satisfy the tribunal in charge of finding them guilty of sedition and heresy or sentencing them to a lifetime in prison. Though not one for taking unnecessary chances, he was gambling with all of their lives. He couldn’t however stand idle and let the opportunity of a lifetime pass him by. So in true scientific form he chose to go for broke.

     In the deepest uncharted reaches of cold space Colonel James Maddox finishes punching the command codes into the ships computers as his copilot Major Brent sets the cryogenic controls for the hibernation sequence of the mission. “I’m finished programing the engines and life support systems. How are things coming with the cryo-systems?” The younger man flips a red switch and turns in his chair. “All systems go colonel.” “Where are we headed sir?” Maddox is reluctant to tell the young pilot but decides that he deserves to know the truth at this stage. “Colonel Taylor and his crew have disappeared from all tracking systems. As far as we know they may be lost but we are going to take the same route they did until we find out for sure.” “Taylor and I go back a long time and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let him die out there.” Brent readied the needles for insertion into their veins for cryo-sleep. “What do you think we’ll find Colonel?” Maddox rolled up his sleeve and extended his arm for Brent to prep him. “We’ll know soon enough.” Then the two men climb into their cryo-pods and prepare for the long sleep that lay ahead. Simultaneously the two clear canopies slide into place, sealing the two astronauts in as the drugs administered by the IV’s inserted into their arms take over and both men drift out of consciousness. The two men sleep as the rescue capsule fires its rockets propelling the vessel into the vast unknown! In a rush of power and speeds beyond any attempted before by man, the tiny craft shoots across endless miles of nothingness until something flashes and rocks the small ship! Unknown to the two passengers in hibernation sleep aboard the ship, a hurricane of cosmic forces lash out for thousands of miles in an instant! As the vessel pierces the waves of energy and cosmic rays something speeds directly in the path of the small rescue ship. The arrow shaped anomaly rips the fabric of space and time causing the object to hurdle past the ‘Icarus Two’ just barely missing it! Neither Colonel Maddox or his copilot are awake to see the event. Neither man will ever know that they were almost struck and killed by something while they slept.

In the endless void of space just outside of the Milkyway galaxy a tiny arrow shaped object comes out of hyperspace. It is a ship carrying four human passengers. The outer hull is damaged and battered. It shows signs of corrosion and aging. Below a small viewport in the ships side, the remains of letters form the words… ‘Icarus One’.

 

    “Doctor, remind me again of how we are to salvage anything from this wreck?” Cornelius asks Dr Milo as they finish calculating the distance from the lake to the site being prepared by the second half of their team. “The vessel has been submerged for over a week in the highly acidic waters of this dead lake. By now the damage must be significant.” Dr Milo patted Cornelius on his shoulder. “We have been very fortunate my friend. Come, I have something to show you.” The two chimpanzees swaggered over to a small hut erected near the camp site and the older of the two unlocks the door and holds it open for his colleague. Inside, Milo reveals a pile of carefully arranged metal oddities. “What are these objects Dr.?” Milo picks up one of the pieces and examines it carefully. “These are replacement parts for the ship we are salvaging.” Then Milo pulls back a sheet that had been slung over something large on the floor. It was flat and white and had some strange symbols scrolled across it. “What does it mean?” Milo gave a pensive expression. “I’m unable to decipher the dialect but all this was taken from an alien object found near the outer rim of our Great Northern belt, approximately forty miles from here, crashed and burning in the desert sand.” “It looked exactly like the ship your Taylor claims he fell from the sky in, the one we just liberated from the water.” “Next to it I discovered a single grave of pilled stones.” “Only this ship’s symbols were slightly different.” Cornelius touches the gleaming white, cold metallic object with his fingers. Unknown to the learned scholars the inscription was in ancient English, it read… Icarus Two!

     Next to the water’s edge four gorillas finish tying off their ropes and call to the doctor. “Dr Milo, we have finished!” The senior chimpanzee locked up the tiny hut and led his associate back to the work site. “Thank you Marcus, please call the others and we’ll get to work freeing the ship from the lake.” The large gorilla called out and gathered the entire team to the monumental task that they had travelled so far and risked so much for. A team of six horses where backed up to the edge of the beach and long ropes extended into the blue water. After much prep work and careful planning, Dr. Milo gave the long awaited order! They driver of the team snapped his whip and jerked the reins sending the horses into action. The large powerful animals applied their brute strength in pulling on the thick ropes affixed to their shoulders and backs. Hooves dig deep into the densely packed sand and muscles strained as twenty four sinewy legs pull and struggle against some unseen force. Finally after a few frustrating seconds something gives and the team moves forward slowly at first, then begin setting a steady pace. Several feet of water soaked rope emerges from the dark waters until at last something otherworldly pierces the surf and climbs high into the air! The sharp arrow shaped vessel erupts from the lake and is hoisted onto the damp sand leaving a massive gash in the ground behind it. The team of beasts is finally called to halt and everyone present stairs up at the mighty leviathan while water runs off its broad back. The sunlight bounces off the gleaming white outer hull causing some to shield their eyes. “Magnificent!” “Look at it!” Dr Milo, to his assistant’s amazement, literally leaps about waving his arms in excited jubilation! “It’s fantastic, utterly and truly fantastic!” Cornelius stands next to Lucius as he holds his dear Zira around the shoulders to stabilize her. “Cornelius, look!” “It’s just as Taylor said it would be!” Cornelius was dumbfounded and rightly so since he had denied its existence from the beginning. He had only believed the human’s story to a point but held the rest of his story as fanciful exaggeration until this moment. Now it seemed he was obliged to admit that the humans account flying from up in space and landing on his world was not only plausible but downright probable. “Taylor was telling the truth. He did come to us from somewhere out there.” He stood looking up into the clear blue sky above. Now the hypothesis he had constructed from his various digs and explorations was turning into reality and it frightened him. What he had always sort of supposed in his mind was now materializing into fact. “They were the first… and we came after.” Lucius looked to his mentor. “Does this mean that you were right after all, the Sacred Scrolls are all a lie?” Cornelius made eye contact with the young ape but chose not to reply. He found vindication to be bitter sweat. Validation of his theories meant that all he had held true, all he had been taught in school and in congregation was undeniably fiction. His history and religion were now reduced to lies. He knew so much but in the back of his analytical scientific mind he had always still held out some small glimmer of hope that he was wrong and that the status quo was correct. He had almost wished he hadn’t been present on this day. This event wiped away any naïve holdings he still had. Reality was brutal.

    

   Forbidden Zone, 3:35pm Saturday 12/12/3978… Dr Zauis shifted in his saddle and wiped his damp brow. “What’s the matter Doctor, is the heat too much for you?” General Ursus jibes the elder statesman. “I’m quite accustomed to these temperatures General; I’ve been on the hunt before.” “Perhaps you are familiar with the exploits of the Third Brigade?” The Old Gorilla’s face showed recognition. “I am indeed Dr.” “My father used to mesmerize me with tales of the Third Brigade when I was a child.” Zaius took a swig from his water bottle. “I was a young ape of fifteen when I joined the Brigade! I served for two years in the Outer Rim.” “Does that surprise you General?” Ursus looked at the old orangutan with new eyes. “It does indeed!” “I had no idea that you had served the Brigade!” Zaius urged his horse on with a confidence that silently humbled the General for the first time since their meeting. For the first time in his military career he was not the senior veteran, it was Zaius who commanded the gorillas deepest respects.

     Hours turned to days in the desolate wastes of this barren landscape. The sounds of a thousand pairs of boots marched on in endless succession along the miles and miles of sharp rock and shifting sand. The ranks held strong and moral was high even though there was no immediate end in sight. It was late in the day when army scouts came scrambling over the hills toward the General and his mounted officers! “Lieutenant! See what those men are running from!” Ursus ordered in anger! “What’s going on General?” Zaius asked concerned. “I don’t know Doctor, I’ve never known my scouts to run before.” “Whatever it is must be serious.” The Lieutenant returned on horseback with one of the scouts running beside him. “Sir, he says they saw something up ahead! But their story makes no sense!” Ursus looked down from his stallion at the terrified gorilla under his charge. “Well! Speak soldier, what did you see?!” The gorilla relates his story to a skeptical audience until finally, the General interrupts the ape. “This ape is hysterical!” Lieutenant, take charge for a minute while I go and inspect the course ahead myself.” He says with disgust! “I would like to accompany you if you don’t mind General?” Zaius offers. “Do what you like Doctor, I mean to get to the bottom of this!” And with that the two apes race off up and over the hillside and come to a sudden stop just over the crest. Two apes, one politician and clergy, the other soldier and adventurer, both stopped dead in their tracks by the sight of something that staggers both their minds. In the far distance from where they sit, close to what must be less than two miles ahead in the low plains in the distance stands something like a forest of incredibly tall trees. But at closer inspection the enormously high spires are not trees at all. They are the burned out, melted remains of buildings! The likes of which has never been seen by simian eyes! A city of black ruins!

 

     At that very same moment, approximately three hundred miles to the South East, a small band of apes is busy at work. Half a dozen gorillas in work clothes lash support beams together to hold the odd ship level at the end of a hastily constructed track of bamboo that stretches from the worksite to the edge of a steep cliff jutting out over the vast expanse of the Forbidden Zones inner precipice. Meanwhile Dr Milo and his assistants work quickly to replace the damaged parts inside the vessel and test the control knobs and buttons. Cornelius and Ovis aide the genius ape in replacing the small hatch that they had taken from the twin ship so far away. “Cornelius, I would like to invite you to join Ovis and I on the ships maiden voyage.” Cornelius is taken back and finds it difficult to put his feelings into words. “Well.” He looks at Zira who has a look of fear in her eyes as she contemplates the dangers involved. “I mean, I am most flattered but I really wouldn’t know what to do, I haven’t the faintest idea how to operate something like this!” Milo waves off the chimpanzees concerns. “Oh don’t worry my friend, you don’t need to know anymore that Ovis. I will instruct you as to which switches to toggle when the time comes.” Cronelius again looks at his wife who looks pleadingly at her ape. “But I wouldn’t be of any help to you Doctor. I have a fear of heights!” “Nonesense!” Milo belches dismissively. But as the gorillas finish fixing the last of the poles one of the stakes in the ground comes loose! Ovis pushes his fellow gorrilas out of the falling poles way but is caught in the ankle by a loose rope and sent hurtling across the sand! The other gorillas catch the support and hoist it back into place while Zira rushes to Ovis. “Are you alright?!” The middle aged ape lies on the ground holding his ankle. After a close examination, Zira turns to a waiting Dr Milo. “I’m afraid it’s broken Doctor.” The scientist is overtaken by grief. “I’m so sorry my boy.” Cornelius attempts to cheer his teacher and friend up. “It wasn’t your fault, it was an accident.” Milo shakes his head. “But it is my expedition. I’ve put you all in danger with my own ambition.” “Ovis has been with me from the beginning. He knows me better than anyone. He knows how much I want this and he has been the one I have chosen as copilot but now there is no way he can go.” Zira feels the pain in her old friend’s words and has a change of heart. “Cornelius can do it!” Both the elder scientist and Cornelius are rocked by her statement! “But Zira, I can’t go and leave you here to worry like that!” “Of course not, that’s why I’m going with you!” Now total shock knocks both apes back! “What?!” Zira smirks impishly. “I’m going with you!” With a determined presence and keen focus the female chimpanzee gets serious. “Now, what do you need me to do once we are in the ship Doctor?” Milo looks to Cornelius who puts both hands up in surrender. “Don’t look at me.” Dr Milo explains the method he used to deduce the firing sequence of the rockets. “When the humans were brought to me, I saw something different in the eyes of the one Taylor called Landon.” “He had been lobotomized by Dr Zaius already but he had the most peculiar habits.” “Every day, all day long he engaged in odd movements. At first I dismissed it but after some time I realized that they were a pattern of movements that played out the exact same way every time. After making careful notation of them in sequence I realized he was remembering something.” “When I first found out about the lost ship, I deduced that he was carrying out what he had been trained to do, repetitively over time and his mind still had the program within it. He was acting out the operations of controlling then ship.” Zira and Cornelius are silently stunned by the logic of Dr. Milo’s brilliant mind. “I believe that by reenacting that sequence of movements within the ship that we can control and operate it.”

     The rest of the day is spent repairing and practicing for tomorrow’s big experiment. Cornelius and Zira nervously try on the spacesuits found in storage compartments near the back of the ships rear hold. Dr Milo checks to see that the batteries are still charged and surprisingly they still have power. ANSA scientists had constructed the Ion-Lithium cells to hold charge for a shelf life of fifty-thousand years in support of the light-years missions they were constructed for. “Cornelius, I believe that everything is a go for tomorrow.”

     As the day turned to night and the team settled in for another nights supper and rest, Cornelius and Zira watched as one of the young female researchers named Gilma sits down with Lucius and shares her food. “Look Cornelius, Lucius may have just found himself a mate.” “Zira!” A playfully perturbed Cornelius scolds her. “Don’t go and play matchmaker. Leave the young ape alone.” Zira blushes. “Oh, you old cynic, I just want him to have what we have.” Her husband laughs. The play eventually subsides and the conversation becomes more serious. “What do you think will happen to us?” Zira asks. “When?” asks Cornelius. “Tomorrow, when we take our first flight in that contraption. Do you think it will work?” Her husband is quiet and then speaks reassuringly. “Dr Milo is the most gifted scientific mind of our age. If anyone can get that thing to move it will be him.” Zira is still unsure in their part in his experiment. “And what of us?” Cornelius smiles and hugs his wife tightly. “I guess you and I will go down in the scrolls of history as heroes.” “Cornelius, I don’t want to be a hero, I want our lives to go back to the way they were.” Her husband shrugs his shoulders and watches the flame dance within the campfire. “I’m afraid it’s too late for that now. Things will never be the same as they used to be.” With some loving talk and warm affection, the couple retires for the night in anticipation of the next day’s events. Lucius on the other is captivated by his dinner date and stays out into the night.

 

Dead Sea, 10:15am Sunday 12/13/3978… Activity around camp as well as the launch site, as Dr Milo had begun calling it, was at a fever pace in anticipation of the big day. No ape had ever even attempted flight let alone flying into the unknown and ever ape in attendance was nervously enraptured with the possibility. Only Cornelius was nervous to the point of nausea and Lucius was delivering an antidote made especially for him by Zira while he finished dressing. “Cornelius, this is from Zira, she says to drink it all down right away.” Cornelius zips up his orange space suit and lifts his helmet up to inspect it. “Just put it down there, I’ll take it in a second.” Lucius watches his mentor and looks down at the pair of orange hands on the stool next to him. “What are those for?” Cornelius picks them up and pulls them over his hands. “Dr Milo called them gloves.” “Weird.” Says Lucius. “So tell me, how did things go with you and a certain female last night, huh?” Lucius blushed and then laughed. “Ok, if you must know.” “Lucius, you have been a good ape, and a good friend.” The younger ape smiles fondly. “You too.” Nothing more needs said. The two apes who have been through so much together head to the ship and its waiting crew. Before going aboard, Cornelius stops and turns to his young friend one last time. “Oh, I wanted to tell you something before I go. Remember what I told you before, about the Pillars of Caesar?” Lucius nods and listens intently. “Yes, I remember.” Cornelius sets his space helmet on the steps that lead up to the opening in the ship and sits to explain further. “We have been taught to believe that the Great Lawgiver had the Pillars constructed to remind us of our first and most esteemed leader, Caesar.” Lucius nods again in recognition. “I remember from school as a young ape.” Cornelius voice becomes grave in nature. “Lucius, those pillars were actually erected… by Caesar himself!” “They are not monuments, they are grave stones!” “They mark the mass graves of those apes that rose up and fought the greatest war ever fought!” Lucius looked stunned! “Who was the war between?” Cornelius continued. “It was the war between the old human world and their slaves… us!” “The humans lost their pets, cats and dogs to a plague that wiped them out. The humans couldn’t live without pets and so chose to domesticate apes.” “In doing so, they sealed their own fate.” “You see, as the apes grew smarter, they grew unhappy in servitude and one day it all fell apart. An ape by the name of Caesar, who had been born to two apes of superior intelligence, was being beaten by his masters for disobeying.” “And on that historic day he, for the first time ever spoke! He said a word that had been yelled at him time and time again… HE SAID NO!” “The humans, fearful of him tried to murder him but were unsuccessful. He organized the gorillas and chimpanzees and orangutans into a para-military society and over through their masters!” “From that first battle came a storm of rebellion and retaliation until the humans felt forced to turn to their last resort! A doomsday bomb!” “They destroyed themselves. And from the ashes of their dead world, ours was born.” Lucius stood unable to speak. Cornelius lowered his gaze. “I’m sorry that I had to tell you all this right now but I’m afraid I might not get the chance later.” Lucius looked up at his teacher. “What were the names of Caesar’s parents?” Cornelius shook his head slowly. “No one knows.” Cornelius picked up his helmet and fixed it onto its resting track around his neck and shoulders. He then rose and climbed the rest of the way up to the small portal in the ship and climbed inside to a waiting Zira and Dr. Milo. “Good day Doctor.” “And to you as well Dr Zira.” Zira’s eyes shined brightly inside her helmet. Dr. Milo checked his calculations board and turned to his two accomplices. “We are ready, Cornelius please press the blue button next to your head there.” He complied which resulted in the hatch beginning to close and then locked itself tightly into place. After switching the power on, the display panel in front of them lit up and beeped as a complex system of gauges and smaller displays came alive. Soon the ship began to rumble and shake. The three apes inside grew less afraid and more exhilarated. The anticipation of what lay ahead of them sparked the adventuresome spirit that lay beneath every scientist’s mild exterior. “Dr. Zira, if you would be so kind as to count down from twenty!” Dr. Milos voice yelled over the sound of the loud thrusters to the rear of the vessel. As she counted down Cornelius felt the ship shutter and then slowly move forward. Through the face-shield of his helmet he could see through the ships forward view screen that the landscape was moving passed them faster and faster as they picked up speed! Ziras voice sounded across the helmets inner speaker… Five… Four… Three… Two… Dr. Milo pulled back on the handle in front of him, repeating the movements of the deaf and dumb human left in his charge a week ago, just as he had so many times, mimicking him perfectly. “ONE!... ZERO!!!

     All in attendance later agreed that the moment the ship shot up from the track suspended over the edge of the cliff, their ears where blown out by the immense BOOM that had erupted from the strange ship as fire flared from the exhaust jets and thruster! The odd vessel shot into the air faster and higher than anything seen by simian eyes! Inside, Dr. Milo fought the control stick as he yelled out instructions to both of his copilots. “Press those buttons to your right in sequence from left to right and then hold on!” Zira complied exactly as ordered. Cornelius, even though pinned to his seat by the tremendous G-Forces inflicted on his body, was able to slide his right hand over and touch Zira’s and held on. Then as the bright glare of daylight disappeared from the front view-screen, the cold darkness of space filled their vision. They are no longer on their home-world that they and every ape before them had walked upon, they were in outer space!

 

     Far below them on the Earth that they called home, unbeknownst to the three apenauts… a conflagration was brewing into a deadly storm. And though its size was no match for the volume of destruction unleashed by the Great Ape Uprising of 2023A.D. the consequences of the battle raging under the ground below, set a dangerous president all its own. For down under the Earths crust, deep within ancient caverns created by nuclear fall-out, General Ursus and Dr. Zaius spearheaded an army into the wastes of old Manhattan. In a cathedral buried in molten rubble formed from twentieth century bombs of the Great War, the last human hold-outs pray to their false god. Their supplications to a war-head with the symbols of Alpha and Omega on the tail fin go unheard and unrealized. The soldiers of the gorilla army push their way into the church, cutting down any human found inside with automatic gun fire. Brent is shot in the head and falls to the floor while Colonel Taylor is riddled with bullets much the same. Taylor has seen the best and worst that humans and apes had to offer. He calls out to Dr Zaius. “Dr. Zaius, help me!” The self-righteous physician and priest scoffs! “You dare ask me for help?!” Taylor, bleeding heavily, crawls forward looking for comfort but finds only hatred. He speaks his final words… “You bloody bastard!” and his body falls forward. His hand lands on a control crystal on the altar to the bomb and it pushes the crustal shard downward. In less than one-tenth of a second, the man’s bloody fingers turn white and melt as the final Dooms-day bomb comes alive. The entire earth is engulfed in a white flash of white light brighter than a thousand suns!

     In one of the countless billions of galaxies in the universe lies a medium sized star… and one of its satellites, a green and insignificant planets… is now dead.


End file.
